


Holiday Movies

by PandoranMama



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Movies, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 10:03:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17139743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandoranMama/pseuds/PandoranMama
Summary: My gift to yellow-yarrow on tumblr, for the Borderlands Gift Exchange 2018Some fluffy Jathena watching holiday movies together!





	Holiday Movies

A movie night.

That was the plan that had been thought up between the two. Something just for them to get away from the grind of the daily work that they did. Tinkering on machines and running errands. Not that it was a bad thing. A change, most certainly, for one of them at least, but it wasn’t bad. Still, they needed some time for themselves and it seemed that the two of them had decided a night in with a few Mercenary Day movies would be the perfect thing to do for this time of year. Something simple and yet special. 

It seemed especially important after Janey had found Athena wasn’t all that use to celebrating holidays with much else than a simple wish of good health and... that was about it. Growing up as a child soldier, you didn’t get exposed to a lot of the “normal” things that kids grew up with. Which included holidays and celebrations of any kind. Even birthdays had been a formal thing that lasted a short amount of time, before it was back to training and missions. So when she had defected from ATLAS, the woman hadn’t really thought much about any of said celebrations. No. It wasn’t until she had been roped into working for Jack that such things had even come up. 

But now Janey had a plan, and that was to help Athena loosen up and enjoy a nice night of just the two of them watching some movies. Movies that the ex-assassin had never seen. The thought blew the junker’s mind a little bit. Most of the movies were classics. Things about family and the joys of the holidays. People working through the troubles they faced to make sure things went right in the end and that love and happiness conquered. Light things to lift the spirits and spread cheer.

Once the gladiator had settled onto the couch, the black marketeer had zipped off to the kitchen, shoving a bag of popcorn into the microwave and grabbing some drinks for the two to enjoy as the relaxed. As she moved around, grabbing a few things here and there, she couldn’t help but steal a few kisses. Gentle things to Athena’s hair or cheeks. One or two little pecks on her lips. Tonight was all about simply enjoying each other’s company.

It didn’t take long for Janey to join Athena on the couch, leaning back with a nice warm bowl of popcorn on her lap, a smile being aimed at her wonderful fiance. She watched as a small smile slipped onto the smaller woman’s lips, the sight just causing her heart to leap in her chest. She always loved these moments. The small pieces of time where she saw past the appearance that Athena kept up. It was special, and something she was honoured to witness.

“So, what exactly am I to expect with these movies?”

The junker glanced towards the TV as she popped a few pieces of the salty snack into her mouth, reaching for the remote as she offered the bowl to Athena, watching her pick up some of the treat.

“Families workin’ through problems mostly. Things that could ruin the holidays for them and the like. Usually these kinds of movies are comedies, so I guess also expect to laugh?” She wasn’t sure if the humour of these movies would be something that would work for the ex-assassin, but they could only watch and see. She sent another smile towards Athena as she flipped through the list, humming as she tried to find a simple one to watch first. Something to get them into the flow.

Finding one, she started the movie and settled back, quietly munching on the popcorn from the bowl that now sat between them. It didn’t take long for the black marketeer to start giggling. Though once she started, almost everything seemed to set the woman off. Now and then she couldn’t help the little snorts that partially just sent her into a longer giggling fit, a hand lifting to cover her mouth. She didn’t want to be too much of a distraction when Athena hadn’t seen these before. She was sure she was being a lot louder that she probably should have been. But what could she say? Janey Springs was easily amused by these kinds of things.

As much as she was focusing on the movie, she couldn’t help glancing now and then to see just what expression was on the gladiator’s face. After all, having not seen them before, Janey wanted to see just how her partner was reacting. She if she could figure out what she was thinking about while watching them. The thought almost set the Elpian woman on edge, trying to gauge Athena’s thoughts without getting caught. She didn’t want it to seem like she was staring, well, not any more than what she usually did. What could she say. She had snagged one gorgeous woman as a fiance.

Janey was sure that Athena knew she kept looking at her. Not a lot got past the woman. She was always observing. Taking in the surroundings. Looking for threats and information. A thing that was drilled into her mind from her training. That was what she had told Janey anyway. That it was hard to run off once it became instinct. A plan for any possible life or death situations. Even in the most placid of places. Though, that was few and far between on a planet like Pandora. Or a moon like Elpis. If it wasn’t the wildlife that wanted to kill you, the people will.

Even so, Athena didn’t lead on that she knew such, so the mechanic kept stealing those little glances. Kept trying to piece together the tiny twitches of the other’s face. Did she like it? Did she not? What was she thinking? Sometimes Janey didn’t know. It was nearly always fifty-fifty with working out just what the gladiator was thinking. She knew how to keep up her facade. Knew how to stare someone down. But she was also rather easy to fluster. At least for Janey. As badass as Athena was -- and she was incredibly badass -- a smile from the junker usually caused a soft pink tint to her cheeks. Something that Janey had noticed from the Elpis days.

She was thinking of giving up on getting a reaction out of Athena with the first movie. It was just the first after all. A starting point. The more they watched, the more relaxed they would become. The more of a chance to see the ex-assassin letting her guard down a little.

That was until a glance had revealed the slight upturned corner of a lip on the shorter woman. Janey was sure her eyes had lit up again at the sight. She couldn’t help but stare now, and it didn’t take long before there were a pair of blue eyes staring back at her.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing. Yer just really pretty.”

Yep, there it was. She could see the cogs spinning a moment in Athena’s head before there was the subtle flush to her skin, the sight only having Janey’s smile grow a little wider. Athena looked away not long after, fiddling with the cushion in her lap, and honestly, the junker thought it adorable. How she had caught the heart of the woman sitting beside her, she didn’t know, but she was grateful.

It didn’t take long for the first movie to be over… and for Janey to realize they were out of popcorn. Though she was sure the second thing had been a fact for a while. Snacks never lasted long when you were watching a movie. She got up to stretch her legs as she took the bowl out, refilling drinks, allowing the movie to process in Athena’s mind for a moment. She was expecting questions, of course. Eager to help quell the curiosity that the ex-assassin held. Though she had to admit, she had figured they would be about the movies.

“Do a lot of people put up lights like that?”

Janey paused a moment in lifting her glass to her lips, pursing her lips slightly.

“I guess that would depend on where exactly you are. I imaging putting up bright flashin’ lights just anywhere down here could attract some unwanted attention if ya weren’t careful enough. Why? Did you want to?”

The short silence had a curious glance find its way towards Athena, watching how she mulled over her thoughts, staring into her drink.

“Course if not lights, we can always get a tree of some sort. Order one off the net. Get a box of decorations. We can put lights on the tree. Just something for us to have and admire. I’m sure she’d look right beaut in that corner near the kitchen.”

Another twitch to the gladiator’s lips had Janey smiling again. She would have to find a nice tree and get it delivered. Maybe get some of those custom decorations with names on them. She was sure that Athena would like that. A special little thing to hand on the tree for her.

“So, next movie?”

Athena nodded, shifting to let herself fall against Janey’s side, her head resting on the taller woman’s shoulder as they sat there, the movie starting to play. The junker slipped an arm around the other, keeping her close, cheek resting in her hair, a comfortable silence falling over them as they got lost in the movie.

=================================

The night continued on.  
A few more movies sliding past them before a glance down had Janey realize that Athena had fallen asleep against her. Not surprising. At some point they had shifted around and the black-marketeer had become a comfortable, warm cushion for the smaller woman. And now she was trapped. Not that she was complaining, but she was definitely not going to be able to move. Not now. Athena looked too comfortable and adorable asleep on her chest like this.

She couldn’t help as she lifted the hand on her back, raising it to stroke fingers ever so softly over the gladiator’s hair, the subtle movement causing her to shift, a mumble leaving her lips. Janey paused, waiting for her to settle again before she had gone back to the gentle pets to her fiance’s hair.

The movie didn’t have much longer to go, and honestly, seeing Athena asleep only had Janey realizing how sleepy she had become herself. A yawn slipped from her lips as she lay there, rubbing her hands over the smaller woman’s back, stealing glances at her sleeping face every now and then. Seemed they were sleeping on the couch tonight, but Janey didn’t mind in the slightest.

As the credits started to roll, the junker forced herself to ignore the urge to stretch, not wanting to wake Athena. Dammit. Thankfully she didn’t need to use the bathroom… at the moment anyway. A glance down, she admired the face of the sleeping woman on her chest, the way her hair slightly fell into her face until finger brushed it back. The dim light of the room cast soft shadows on her features and Janey found herself staring a moment before a smile slipped onto her lips.

Yeah.  
She was lucky as anything getting the chance to get close to Athena, and she wouldn’t change it for anything. In these moments like this she realized just how happy she was. How it seemed the universe, after ripping someone away from her, sent someone else her way to love. She had loved Steph, still did in some way, but after her death, the junker hadn’t really thought she could find someone else. Not until that group of Vault Hunters sent by Hyperion had stumbled into her base in Serenity’s Waste, and she had been introduced to the gladiator. She swore her heart had leapt into her throat and her stomach had cartwheeled out of her body. Yet her first instinct had been to put on a flirty tone.

And now here they were, snuggled up on a couch after watching a bunch of holiday themed movies… together.

Her smile widened a little more at the thought, and with a click of the remote the TV was shut off. Shifting slightly, Janey had tugged the throw that was draped over the back of the couch over them, tucking the two of them in where they lay. She let her eyes slowly slip close, enjoying just being close to the other.

And then Athena snored.


End file.
